Firemen and rescue workers stand on the wreckage of a collapsed building after an explosion in a factory in Istanbul January 31, 2008. An explosion at an Istanbul factory on Thursday killed at least 17 people and injured nearly 40 after it brought down several floors of a multi-storey building, Istanbul authorities said. REUTERS/Stringer (TURKEY) 0 less

Firemen and rescue workers stand on the wreckage of a collapsed building after an explosion in a factory in Istanbul January 31, 2008. An explosion at an Istanbul factory on Thursday killed at least 17 people ... more

Photo: STRINGER/TURKEY

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Rescue workers search rubble for survivors after an explosion at a factory in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008. An explosion at an unlicensed fireworks factory in the building in Istanbul killed 20 people and injured 117 others Thursday, officials said. (AP Photo) less

Rescue workers search rubble for survivors after an explosion at a factory in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008. An explosion at an unlicensed fireworks factory in the building in Istanbul killed 20 ... more

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Rescue workers search rubble for any survivors after an explosion at a factory in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008. An explosion killed 19 people and injured nearly 70 others Thursday, authorities said. Gov. Muammer Guler ruled out terrorism as a cause, and said an investigation was under way. "Right now, there is nothing linked to terror," said Guler. Businesses in the five-story building included textile makers and an unlicensed fireworks manufacturer, according to local media. Nearby buildings were also damaged. Mehmet Bakar, head of Istanbul's health authority, said three of the nearly 70 injured were in a serious condition. (AP Photo) less

Rescue workers search rubble for any survivors after an explosion at a factory in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008. An explosion killed 19 people and injured nearly 70 others Thursday, authorities ... more

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Medics treat two survivors of the blast at a factory in Istanbul January 31, 2008. An explosion at an Istanbul factory on Thursday killed at least 17 people and injured nearly 40 after it brought down several floors of a multi-storey building, Istanbul authorities said. REUTERS/str (TURKEY) less

Medics treat two survivors of the blast at a factory in Istanbul January 31, 2008. An explosion at an Istanbul factory on Thursday killed at least 17 people and injured nearly 40 after it brought down several ... more

Photo: STRINGER/TURKEY

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Fatal blast blamed on illegal fireworks

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An explosion ripped through an unlicensed fireworks factory in an industrial section of Istanbul on Thursday, killing 20 people and injuring 117, officials said.

The city's governor, Muammer Guler, blamed fireworks manufactured illegally in the five-story building. He ruled out terrorism, and said an investigation was under way.

Mayor Kadir Topbas said a chain of explosions destroyed the top two floors of the building in the Davutpasa district.

The first blast, at about 9:30 a.m., sparked a fire that drew onlookers, he said. Minutes later, there was a second explosion.

"White smoke was rising into the sky from the factory as we came to the front of the building. People were running around. I helped carry out six injured people," a witness who identified himself as Ali told CNN-Turk television.

The force of the blast destroyed the top two floors and columns of nearby buildings, sending debris showering down on cars parked on the street below.

Police sealed off the area as rescue workers pulled bodies from the rubble. Television footage showed at least two men lying in the street as a man with blood on his face walked nearby.

The building also housed textile makers, reports said. It had been shut down by authorities twice but the fireworks manufacturing continued illicitly, a municipal director, Murat Aydin, told NTV television.

Davutpasa is home to an industrial zone with many unregulated businesses. Topbas said regulation is difficult because there are so many factories in the city of more than 12 million people, and he appealed to residents to inform authorities about unlicensed manufacturers.

In 2005, a series of explosions at a fireworks warehouse in Istanbul killed six people. The explosions occurred in a section of the facility that was not licensed to hold fireworks.